The key addition to FIFA 16 is the ability of players to handle the ball without actually handling the ball

In FIFA 12, EA Sports made one of the bravest changes to their football simulator - they completely revamped the defensive mechanics. Before that, defending was not an action that would require great care or skill. Any player with a minimal understanding of the systems and controls could defend without major problems - it was the quality of the athletes on the field that mostly determined the success or failure of a tackle. One of the key additions to FIFA 16 is the ability of talented players to handle the ball without actually handling the ball. Yes, no touch dribbling is a game mechanic that allows players to do what the greats often do and use their body as much as the ball to gain a positioning advantage on the opponent.

Utilizing it is fairly simple, and for anyone familiar with deking in the NHL franchise, the concepts are very similar. One of the best new defensive features is the ability to get out of a slide tackle. Slide tackles have always been dangerous plays, as one slip can lead to either a penalty or pulling the defender out of position. Now if you activate a poorly executed slide tackle, press the slide tackle button again and the defender will stick a foot in the ground, then pop back up to stay in the play. When utilized correctly, this can be used to avoid big mistakes and precious lost time on the field. Always try to be unpredictable. Predictability will be your greatest enemy, so do the unexpected, even if it doesn't work all the time. Even when it goes wrong, it will open opportunities later on in the game. This is key.

If you constantly do the same thing, you opponent will catch on. Instead of constantly cutting inside when you're on the wing, try going outside instead. More skilled assailants will find it harder to be able to penetrate the defense as a result of new swing-step feature. Defenders will now be able to switch guidelines quickly. This will prevent defenders from over-running. Hence, strikers and attackers will now have trouble creating spaces for them to increase through the defenses.The man-marking defensive strategy has also been changed a little bit. AI defenders is now able to recognize if opposing members will make a threatening work. In this way, AI defenders wil hesitate to intercept and also defend those attackers.Midfielders too will be better from intercepting passes and very long goal kicks.

I still wish there were more for them to do. The modes in which the women's sides are available - an unbranded tournament that maxes out at six matches, or standard one-off play - don't provide enough context to support what is otherwise an admirably different way of playing soccer. EA Sports' forthright and respectable presentation of the differences in women's soccer means their players can't show up in a mixed-gender competition like Ultimate Team or Be a Pro. But if you want to create a larger story for any of the 12 women's teams, all you have to work with is a single generic tournament. What, I wonder, would have prevented FIFA 16 from offering a 22-match fantasy league of these women's national teams, playing everyone home and road, with the aggregated statistics and player progression enjoyed in the men's game?

LB and Y passes over the top are less effective now, so try and stay away from playing them. Also, stepovers inside don't seem to work as well so try and find another skill to get past your opponent. There is nothing worse than being better than your opponent but not finishing your chances. Learning the best way to score is one of the most important things in FIFA. You don't always have to win by scoring beautiful goals. My advice would be to always create a good shooting angle in order to get the most success, and if the opportunity presents itself, score with the dirty cut back!

The biggest and the most interesting addition of them all - FIFA 16 has confirmed to include female players in their rooster. In the real world, there are plenty of teams comprised entirely of women, but the world of football is dominated by men. Even young kids know about Rooney and Ronaldo, but no one would have heard about a lady player. The next EA game might change this because every gamer will know a couple of names when it gets launched.